inconvenience
Americannoun
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inconveniences
plural
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the quality or state of being inconvenient.
-
an inconvenient circumstance or thing; something that causes discomfort, trouble, etc.
verb (used with object)
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inconveniences,
present (3rd person singular)
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inconvenienced,
past participle, past
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inconveniencing
present participle
noun
-
the state or quality of being inconvenient
-
something inconvenient; a hindrance, trouble, or difficulty
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
inconveniencesimple
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inconveniencessimple
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have inconveniencedperfect
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has inconveniencedperfect
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am inconveniencingprogressive
-
are inconveniencingprogressive
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is inconveniencingprogressive
-
have been inconveniencingperfect progressive
-
has been inconveniencingperfect progressive
Past
-
inconveniencedsimple
-
had inconveniencedperfect
-
was inconveniencingprogressive
-
were inconveniencingprogressive
-
had been inconveniencingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inconvenience
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word inconvenientia. See in- 3, convenience
Explanation
An inconvenience is an annoying occurrence that makes you go out of your way, like the inconvenience of a detour that takes you off your usual route, or the inconvenience of the door bell ringing just as you are about to take a dish out of the oven. The noun inconvenience, pronounced "in-cun-VEE-nyent," comes from the Latin word inconvenientia, from in-, meaning “not,” and convenient-, meaning “agreeing, fitting.” That meaning still holds true for inconvenience: something that doesn’t fit easily into your life, though it doesn't cause suffering, either. Use it to describe small irritations, like the inconvenience of an airport delay.
Vocabulary lists containing inconvenience
The Giver
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In a short statement on the airport website, a spokesperson said: "There will be some disruption to some flights today. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
“In a Charley Chase film life often seems like a stream of unfortunate coincidences designed primarily to embarrass, incriminate, or otherwise inconvenience Chase in his bid to be a good solid citizen.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
“I’m really sorry for the inconvenience but I had to make sure everybody’s OK.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Kohli-Lynch said one reason is that measuring apoB generally requires an additional blood test beyond the standard cholesterol panel, increasing both cost and inconvenience.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
I should be an inconvenience at Joe’s; I was not expected, and my bed would not be ready; I should be too far from Miss Havisham’s, and she was exacting and mightn’t like it.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
In a press conference before landing, Christina Koch said the inconveniences, such as freeze-dried food or a toilet without much privacy, were worth it.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
As federal judges, we recognize that certain risks and inconveniences accompany a position of public trust like ours.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026
Small inconveniences you overlook on vacation can become major issues when they are part of your daily life.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 29, 2025
Previous work led by Almeida has shown that stress responses fluctuate over time and that even minor daily inconveniences can affect health when they accumulate.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2025
“It appears to me one of those questions which present great inconveniences whichever way it is decided,” he wrote his new son-in-law.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
To be Austin at a World Cup match is to rarely be inconvenienced.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
In both cases, an individual is inconvenienced to improve the overall environment, making it healthier for everyone.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
However, some ways of being inconvenienced are more draining than others.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
The 800-year-old church has no toilet, but Mr Robinson did not want to see the team inconvenienced.
From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2024
Autumn’s place is so great that it’s my go-to spot whenever I’m even mildly inconvenienced.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
She currently shares a car with her boyfriend and they coordinate daily dropoffs and pickups, oftentimes inconveniencing one of them.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
She later apologized to her security detail, secretaries and driver for inconveniencing them by starting at such an early hour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025
With no workers left, heaps of trash have been overflowing from public bins and dump yards on to the streets, inconveniencing residents.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2025
In their self-conception, they would be entitled to white-glove service from the federal government in the wake of this massively inconveniencing event.
From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2023
I am sorry that all this time I had no idea of the extent to which they were inconveniencing you.'
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
